S05.E06: Birth Mother

[sara416]

15 hours ago, Jeddah said:

.

Except she didn’t shut it away. She apparently recounted all of it in great detail to Hai. Good for Randall for finding comfort in her story. If I were him I would have felt like she clearly didn’t care after hearing her story. For decades she couldn’t walk ten feet to say hello to the love of her life, so it’s not surprising that she couldn’t be bothered to see what happened to her son or let her son’s father know she wasn’t dead.

She didn't tell it all to Hai until the last few years of her life though. She spent a lot of time holding that in. Shame can do terrible things to a person. 

6 hours ago, gonzosgirrl said:

As an adopted kid with no desire to know my birth parents, let me say, not all of us. Despite some friction at times (as kids) with my brothers, my mother and father were the two wonderful people who raised me with (from the age of four months). I knew I was 'dopted' before I even really knew what that meant. I never felt lost because I was raised with love, and knowing that I was wanted more than anything. My family is my family, for better or worse. Although both my parents told me they would be okay with me trying to find out about my birth parents, I never have and never will.  I have some pretty strong feelings on the subject, but this isn't the place for them.

I'm glad you feel settled and loved. I'm speaking from the point of what research and my experience with clients and a few friends have taught me, and not from lived experience as someone who is adopted. I didn't mean to step on toes at all. 

[kili]

Quote

 And after Kevin's thoughtful musings about TPTB demanding shirtless scenes of their leading men (with all that this brings along - the prep for such scenes isn't exactly a walk in the park) we get not one but two scenes of Randall's pecs n' more within three episodes.

I don't t think we've had an episode this season without a shirtless Pearson male. We saw Kevin shirtless in the first two episodes (coming out of the shower in the cabin and coming in from a workout at Madison). Randall was shown shirtless in the third (titled fourth because the first episode was super-sized) which was featured in the "previouslies" in the next two weeks and this week we got the Full Monty from Randall.  I thought Kevin's rant was a little meta since the show had just featured him shirtless and in the previous one too, so I started noticing. Sterling and Justin have to hang out at the boiled chicken end of the kraft services table (waving awkwardly at Jon who has taken to haunting the kraft services table until Miguel finally gets back on screen). 

[Pristine]

On 1/13/2021 at 8:43 AM, Lady Calypso said:

Well, Kevin and Madison said that, by the time he came back, she'd have five weeks left. So she's still at least five or six weeks away from her actual due date. She's still early in terms of labor. I think both assumed that the earliest the twins could come is five weeks, not that she would necessarily ONLY give birth at the proper time. 

My twins were 4 weeks early, so not completely unusual, but seriously Mr. Movie Star, get on a plane.

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

My wife made a good point when I was ranting about this train wreck of an episode: why could everybody jump in that lake with clothes on except for Randall? I don't know if anyone who works on TIU browses these forums, but I hope writers, show runners or somebody reads about how disgusted we all were with this crap.

Randall and Beth were staying at a hotel in New Orleans, and he got up in the middle of the night to take a drive back to Laurel's house and the lake. He probably didn't want to be in wet underwear for the drive back, hence the skinny dipping. Even so, I hope he went back into Laurel's house and took a shower before getting dressed and driving back. The water in the lake looked very dirty.

[Maximona]

On 1/14/2021 at 12:26 PM, TV Diva Queen said:

I was expecting that reveal too. Maybe the next "random person who's somehow related to the Pearson clan" story will be Randall tracking down the aunt's baby.

It will turn out to be Beth!!!!  😀

[Jeddah]

7 hours ago, sara416 said:

She didn't tell it all to Hai until the last few years of her life though. She spent a lot of time holding that in. Shame can do terrible things to a person. 

She had enough courage to tell Hai, so why didn’t she have the courage to use Google? The last thing she knew about her son was that he was with a drug addict who thought she was dead. Even if she was too ashamed to meet or contact him, she should have wanted to make sure he was okay. Even 35 years later, she didn’t care enough to even try to see what happened to him.

1 hour ago, Maximona said:

It will turn out to be Beth!!!!  😀

I was thinking it might be someone related to Deja, but I like your idea even better!

[Lone Wolf]

19 hours ago, JayDub1987 said:

My wife made a good point when I was ranting about this train wreck of an episode: why could everybody jump in that lake with clothes on except for Randall? I don't know if anyone who works on TIU browses these forums, but I hope writers, show runners or somebody reads about how disgusted we all were with this crap.

18 hours ago, MissLucas said:

It was particularly hilarious in view of Randall's OCD tendencies. And after Kevin's thoughtful musings about TPTB demanding shirtless scenes of their leading men (with all that this brings along - the prep for such scenes isn't exactly a walk in the park) we get not one but two scenes of Randall's pecs n' more within three episodes.

For realsies...there's ducks in that lake. Hungry ducks.

Seriously though...Brown and Hartley are both in phenomenal shape, Brown maybe overly so in relation to his character. I don't know if it's coincidence or contractually obligated, but it did seem a bit exploitative.  "Butt shot!", as my GF likes to exclaim when these kinds of scenes pop up.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Lone Wolf

[BC4ME]

I was not completely sober when I watched this episode. I thought it was the worst episode ever of TIU. As I watched this over-wrought, multiple plot hole, mess of an episode, I wondered if my current state was bringing me a clarity I didn't normally have WRT this show. I love SKB but geez, that was some poor acting in the naked with ghost of mom in the water scene IMO. I'm trying to hang in there but they're going to need to cut down on the not well-earned emotion fest.

[drafan]

On 1/14/2021 at 12:32 AM, Aloeonatable said:

I guess it is going to be primarily the adult Big 3, at least for the foreseeable future.

I won't be long before Ken Olin insets himself or a real-life family member into this soap-opera.

[PRgal]

3 minutes ago, DarkHorse said:

I think they just create/add characters in this show so they can do flashbacks for them! So his mother never died as we found out previously and she actually came from a very privileged background yet stuffed it all up. Chose prison over calling rich daddy, never tried to find her son ever. Than her Asian lover decides out of the goodness of his heart to give the house to her kid which he only found after he did an accidental webcam strip tease?

Never liked Randall and he was as obnoxious as always and seemed racist himself when he found out his mother was dating the Asian guy who was nothing but nice to him the whole time. If I were him I never would have contacted Randall in the first place, but after meeting him, I would have discarded any silly thoughts of handing him the house and property!

And Randall, a council man no less, just accepts that the house is his that this man is who he says he is? All very simple and syrupy. 

And the Laurel never tries to find William? I know he literally left her for dead but no attempts anyway? She just accepts her fate silently? 

And Randall, don't get butt naked when you go speak to your death mother! 

I had trouble watching that scene.  It was really creepy.  As for being rude to Hai:  I wonder if he was thinking "Hai only wanted to be with my birthmom for citizenship reasons."  Even though they were genuinely in love.  Of course, neither sets of parents would have seen it as being "appropriate," considering the times and culture.

[CrystalBlue]

4 hours ago, BC4ME said:

I was not completely sober when I watched this episode. I thought it was the worst episode ever of TIU. As I watched this over-wrought, multiple plot hole, mess of an episode, I wondered if my current state was bringing me a clarity I didn't normally have WRT this show. I love SKB but geez, that was some poor acting in the naked with ghost of mom in the water scene IMO. I'm trying to hang in there but they're going to need to cut down on the not well-earned emotion fest.

You're lucky you had a buzz on.  I watched stone cold sober.  😕

The only likeable person was the gracious and eloquent Hai.  Beth was OK, but she sure was all in having keys handed to her husband that they now own a lake-front house.  No questions asked.  Like she's just received a birthday gift.

[kili]

 

Quote

I had trouble watching that scene.  It was really creepy. 

I think one of the reasons it comes off as creepy is the unnatural way their bodies are so static in the water. First, they establish the scene with having Randall moving accurately in the water as he swims. He's moving his arms and legs, so he is moving and the water is moving. Then, when Lauren appears, neither of their bodies are moving naturally in the water any more. I think they filmed them standing in a pool or small water tank to get that effect. Even if they were somehow at neutral buoyancy (after Randall just showed us he is all muscle? In a salt free lake? IDK) they would still be bobbing. 

Our mind tells us that it's unnatural, so it is kind of an uncanny valley phenomena - uncanny valley swimming/water. 

They may have done it to make it more surreal or because it can be tough to have a tender, touching moment when one is treading water or they didn't want to exhaust their actors.

Edited January 17, 2021 by kili

[lexiexx]

Do we know for sure that there was not an alligator incident?   I was bored with this episode and fast forwarded a bunch of it, but I could imagine tuning in next week to see Randall all misty eyed, swallowing hard, talking about how the gator got his balls whilst he was being cathartic and having a rendezvous with, you know, the memory/ghost of his mom.  

IDK where this show is even going anymore.   I feel like before this season is over we're going to see some Pearson ancestor coming over on the Mayflower.  Great guy, had some issues, madly in love with another pilgrim whose dad thought he wasn't good enough.

[CrystalBlue]

35 minutes ago, lexiexx said:

Do we know for sure that there was not an alligator incident?   I was bored with this episode and fast forwarded a bunch of it, but I could imagine tuning in next week to see Randall all misty eyed, swallowing hard, talking about how the gator got his balls whilst he was being cathartic and having a rendezvous with, you know, the memory/ghost of his mom.  

IDK where this show is even going anymore.   I feel like before this season is over we're going to see some Pearson ancestor coming over on the Mayflower.  Great guy, had some issues, madly in love with another pilgrim whose dad thought he wasn't good enough.

Well, Beth did say Randall appeared lighter on the ride home.  Maybe that's what she meant?  😁

[Scarlett45]

Sitting down to watch the episode. 
 

The actor they have playing Young Hai is very attractive. 
 

 

[PRgal]

13 hours ago, lexiexx said:

Do we know for sure that there was not an alligator incident?   I was bored with this episode and fast forwarded a bunch of it, but I could imagine tuning in next week to see Randall all misty eyed, swallowing hard, talking about how the gator got his balls whilst he was being cathartic and having a rendezvous with, you know, the memory/ghost of his mom.  

IDK where this show is even going anymore.   I feel like before this season is over we're going to see some Pearson ancestor coming over on the Mayflower.  Great guy, had some issues, madly in love with another pilgrim whose dad thought he wasn't good enough.

Okay, this reminds me of the Sweet Valley Saga.  Some ancestor on the twins' dad's side met an ancestor on their mom's side on their way to America.  And they cross paths each generation (!!!) until they got to the twins' parents.  I can't believe I remember the plot.  I read that book 30 years ago.  

[TAG42481]

I didn't read the entire thread, just the first half of the first page.  In that group, I'm in the minority.  I think it's amazing that the writers managed to write such a compelling episode with our main characters "sidelined" for most of the episode.  And that's not the first time they've done that either!  I don't necessarily need any more episodes about Randall's mother, but I thought it was excellent that we finally got her story and that (hopefully) Randall has some closure.

Randall should give the house to the guy right now and tell him to give it back to Randall - in his will.

15 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Sitting down to watch the episode. 
 

The actor they have playing Young Hai is very attractive. 
 

 

The actress they have playing Young Laurel is very attractive as well!!

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, TAG42481 said:

The actress they have playing Young Laurel is very attractive as well!!

Yes she’s a very pretty woman. She looked so nice in the 1970s hairstyle. 

[geauxaway]

6 hours ago, PRgal said:

Okay, this reminds me of the Sweet Valley Saga.  Some ancestor on the twins' dad's side met an ancestor on their mom's side on their way to America.  And they cross paths each generation (!!!) until they got to the twins' parents.  I can't believe I remember the plot.  I read that book 30 years ago.  

Omg I LOVED that book!  🤣.  But yes, I compare it to the Forrest Gump movie where everything ended up being a huge contrivance.  (And I think I’m the only person on the planet who loathes that movie).  I’m sticking with This is Us because I do still enjoy the show.  I did cry for pretty much the last 15 minutes, although like everyone else here was wondering about the gators and snakes, and also the nudity versus his fully clothed momma.

I also cannot stand the Madison character so the one scene with Kevin and the previews just made me mad.  Of course she went into labor early, OF COURSE.  And she probably panicked and went overboard guilting Kevin, causing him to panic and well you see what supposedly happens next.  

[pianogirl73]

5 hours ago, geauxaway said:

Omg I LOVED that book!  🤣.  But yes, I compare it to the Forrest Gump movie where everything ended up being a huge contrivance.  (And I think I’m the only person on the planet who loathes that movie).  I’m sticking with This is Us because I do still enjoy the show.  I did cry for pretty much the last 15 minutes, although like everyone else here was wondering about the gators and snakes, and also the nudity versus his fully clothed momma.

I also cannot stand the Madison character so the one scene with Kevin and the previews just made me mad.  Of course she went into labor early, OF COURSE.  And she probably panicked and went overboard guilting Kevin, causing him to panic and well you see what supposedly happens next.  

You are not alone! I hate Forest Gump too and that scene reminded me of it! I called it the Forest Gump scene when talking about it with friends.

[Dowel Jones]

Or Jack's ancestor of ancestors is 'the other guy' in the Garden of Eden, who speechifies the serpent so long that the serpent finally hisses in disgust, and thinks to itself "I'll just go over here to this other couple.  They look gullible."

[ProudMary]

On 1/15/2021 at 12:00 PM, Dowel Jones said:

Randall and Beth will set up at the lake and offer GLNST (tm).  They will nearly go bankrupt, until yet another relative of Randall's (or Beth's, or Deja's), played by James Earl Jones, will show up, pontificate on the history of primal scream, and how people will line up in their cars to do it.  $20 a carload.  He will then disappear into the lake with all the dead characters.  The camera pans back to reveal a line of car headlights.

"Ease his pain."

[bros402]

On 1/14/2021 at 7:35 PM, debraran said:

That's funny, I always pictured some contrived, corny, scene of Rebecca lying in bed and Jack coming to her while her kids cry and wring their hands and he takes her like the Titanic movie to a special place where they will give Pearson speeches to all who will listen. I also picture Miguel looking in a window at them like a puppy dog.

oh no now I am imagining them trying to do a ripoff of Six Feet Under's ending

but yes they will show Rebecca dying and she sees Jack in a flash of light, or hears Jack's laughter

[Boo Boo]

Nevermind!  Edited dumb comment

Edited January 18, 2021 by Boo Boo

[Boo Boo]

Did Hai ever verify that Laurel died?  Or are the writers going to come up with another story that Laurel is alive again?  Hai was wrong!  He only thought she died!  

This storyline is stupid.  I don't need the writers to reinvent the history of the Pearsons.  Is there really nothing that interesting about their current lives that we need to revise storylines to the point where the dead are undead and then die again?

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by Boo Boo

[Lone Wolf]

16 hours ago, bros402 said:

oh no now I am imagining them trying to do a ripoff of Six Feet Under's ending
 

They could do a lot worse (and probably will).  SFU had one of the most satisfying finales ever.  So did Veep and Newhart, although in entirely different ways.

[tvfanatic13]

I realize that this may be unpopular, but I kind of liked this episode. I would rather see more of Laurel and Mae than Randall frankly. The ending gave me the feels. 🤷‍♀️

[HelpMeOutHere]

Long time lurker here, barging in with my scenario of where the writers just might go with Laurel and the circumstances surrounding Randall's birth.

The reason Laurel was in so much pain after delivering Randall was because she was still in labor with a transverse breech twin! You know how much TPTB love multiple births. So, either the heroin, CPR, and moving her to the ambulance caused twin b to turn and she was able to deliver (unconscious), or they realized it at the hospital and performed an emergency c section (the scar explained to Laurel later as an emergency procedure to stop the bleeding). Either way, there is a baby, and an unscrupulous nurse gets drugged-up Laurel to unwittingly sign Randall's twin over for adoption! So Randall has a twin! Laurel never knew! The PI didn't find her because this woman had a baby that was lawfully adopted by a different family, and there was a screw up at the hospital and it was reported as a single birth, so she couldn't be on the radar as Randall's birth mom. Once again, Randall has a twin!!! Could it be Deja's dad? One of Malik's parents? Who? 

Seems as plausible as anything else we have seen.

I enjoy the discussions here. Thanks for letting me join in.

 

[LeighLeigh]

On 1/15/2021 at 4:56 PM, Pristine said:

My twins were 4 weeks early, so not completely unusual, but seriously Mr. Movie Star, get on a plane.

I agree. Mine were 7 weeks early. 

[bros402]

7 hours ago, Lone Wolf said:

They could do a lot worse (and probably will).  SFU had one of the most satisfying finales ever.  So did Veep and Newhart, although in entirely different ways.

SFU had an amazing ending, but This Is Us would feel like a 4th grade play versus a Broadway Production

1 hour ago, LeighLeigh said:

I agree. Mine were 7 weeks early. 

I was born at 25 weeks.

[debraran]

5 hours ago, LeighLeigh said:

I agree. Mine were 7 weeks early. 

I had mine literally 30 minutes after going to hospital, second pregnancy (but first was 4 hours) No way anyone could make it if they weren't with me. But TIU has its own speed of light. ; )  Mine were about a month early but healthy.

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by debraran

[Boo Boo]

On 1/16/2021 at 4:27 PM, DarkHorse said:

I think they just create/add characters in this show so they can do flashbacks for them! So his mother never died as we found out previously and she actually came from a very privileged background yet stuffed it all up. Chose prison over calling rich daddy, never tried to find her son ever. Than her Asian lover decides out of the goodness of his heart to give the house to her kid which he only found after he did an accidental webcam strip tease?

 

Right.  The dumbest fucking thing ever.  What's the purpose of this "This house is yours, here ya go" in the ultimate plot twist?  Will Randall be inside the house one day and Laurel wanders in because she really isn't dead just like his Uncle Nicky?  

Meanwhile, is it me or should Hai had less of an accent after being in the US for most of his life? Why is he still talking like he just arrived to America? 

[Ohiopirate02]

21 minutes ago, Boo Boo said:

Right.  The dumbest fucking thing ever.  What's the purpose of this "This house is yours, here ya go" in the ultimate plot twist?  Will Randall be inside the house one day and Laurel wanders in because she really isn't dead just like his Uncle Nicky?  

Meanwhile, is it me or should Hai had less of an accent after being in the US for most of his life? Why is he still talking like he just arrived to America? 

Accents are a fickle thing.  For some, they easily adapt to the local after a few years, for others they keep their accent after decades.  It also depends on how insular a life the person lives.  If Hai doesn't venture out much into the English speaking world and he continues to speak Vietnamese the majority of the time, he will retain his accent.  

[kili]

Quote

My twins were 4 weeks early, so not completely unusual, but seriously Mr. Movie Star, get on a plane.

All my friends who had twins were told that most twins are born around 4 weeks early, so that is what they were planning for their due dates.  Full-term is 38 weeks. So, wouldn't Madison's and Kevin's doctor have told them the same thing and they are talking with respect to that date? Or do some doctors still plan for 40 weeks as the expected due date for twins?

Do Kate and Kevin know that their triplet died? We know Randall found out and had another crisis about it, but did "the twins" ever find out (Randall found out when one of the neighbours called him a miracle and mentioned the third triplet while he was out trick-or-treating by himself - he insisted on using his candy map while Kate wanted to go to the haunted house as originally planned and Kevin backed her up (because he knew why she really wanted to go to the haunted house)). If Kevin knew his triplet died, that might make him more urgent to get back.

[PRgal]

3 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Accents are a fickle thing.  For some, they easily adapt to the local after a few years, for others they keep their accent after decades.  It also depends on how insular a life the person lives.  If Hai doesn't venture out much into the English speaking world and he continues to speak Vietnamese the majority of the time, he will retain his accent.  

My parents have been in Canada longer than they lived in Hong Kong and still have accents.  And they both worked in white collar, professional jobs outside of the Chinese  community.  It's really difficult to lose one's accent after, say, the age of 12 or 13.  I don't know how big the Vietnamese community is in NOLA, but many Asian communities are fairly insular and one can spend an entire week (or longer) without having to speak or even HEAR English in some parts of North America.  Considering that Hai's wife was also Vietnamese (and likely also a refugee), it's very likely he would keep his accent.  I'm actually surprised at how fluent his English is.  Plenty of people who came, even as 20-somethings, are not that great, decades later.

[mtlchick]

Since the current thread is locked I’ll post it here.

Tonignt’s episode has been pushed back. They were doing their best to keep up with post production for the first few episodes of the season but with current lockdown measures, they were not able to this time. 

 

[chitowngirl]

And my twins had to be induced at 39 weeks, one needed forceps and one needed vacuum extraction...you just never know!

[chocolatine]

Wow, so many posters who've given birth to twins! The twin birth rate is only 33 out of 1000. The data scientist in me now wants to know whether the TIU boards disproportionately attracts mothers of twins.

[debraran]

5 hours ago, kili said:

All my friends who had twins were told that most twins are born around 4 weeks early, so that is what they were planning for their due dates.  Full-term is 38 weeks. So, wouldn't Madison's and Kevin's doctor have told them the same thing and they are talking with respect to that date? Or do some doctors still plan for 40 weeks as the expected due date for twins?

Do Kate and Kevin know that their triplet died? We know Randall found out and had another crisis about it, but did "the twins" ever find out (Randall found out when one of the neighbours called him a miracle and mentioned the third triplet while he was out trick-or-treating by himself - he insisted on using his candy map while Kate wanted to go to the haunted house as originally planned and Kevin backed her up (because he knew why she really wanted to go to the haunted house)). If Kevin knew his triplet died, that might make him more urgent to get back.

I think it tangled on the cord but usually triplets are C section or watched carefully for heart drop, etc. He was probably a twin with Kevin and always been and always will be an issue with me that the plot had him replaced like a toy. They didn't even tell Randall! When he was out on Halloween and a neighbor told  Randall. He apparently didn’t know at the time he was adopted after Kyle lost his life. Maybe Jack and Rebecca never wanted to say this out of fear Randall would think he was a replacement for their lost child. Randall didn't know he was adopted? Hello? She almost named him Kyle to further confuse the poor kid. (sarcasm) No wonder he has issues.

I had my twins around the same time and can't fathom losing one and leaving it or having my husband talk me into replacing it with another baby. Made for TV show with a twist but in reality didn't fit with Jack who is so emotional and Rebecca who needed to mourn. At least they showed her feeling something early on.

 

Edited January 19, 2021 by debraran

[ams1001]

7 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Accents are a fickle thing.  For some, they easily adapt to the local after a few years, for others they keep their accent after decades.  It alsepends on how insular a life the person lives.  If Hai doesn't venture out much into the English speaking world and he continues to speak Vietnamese the majority of the time, he will retain his accent.  

We had a family friend from Scotland; not sure how old she was when she came here but her kids were around my age and she had a pretty strong accent as long as I knew her (which is my whole life until she passed away when I was 34). Her sister had an even thicker accent.

3 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Since the current thread is locked I’ll post it here.

Tonignt’s episode has been pushed back. They were doing their best to keep up with post production for the first few episodes of the season but with current lockdown measures, they were not able to this time. 

Thanks for the heads up. I just checked the channel guide on my TV and it's listing S4E14 (The Cabin) instead.

Edit, just for giggles...some funny reaction gifs in this thread.

 

[kili]

Quote

He apparently didn’t know at the time he was adopted after Kyle lost his life. Maybe Jack and Rebecca never wanted to say this out of fear Randall would think he was a replacement for their lost child. Randall didn't know he was adopted? Hello? 

Randall did know he was adopted by that point. He was a pretty clever kid so he would have figured it out on his own long before then, but we have proof he knew in Kevin's pool rant which occurred prior to the Hallowe'en in question ("And you're so busy making sure that Kate's not eating too much and Randall's not too adopted, and meanwhile, where's Kevin? Oh, guess what? He's dead.").

The talkative neighbours only revealed to Randall that the twins were triplets and that the third one had been lost.  They apparently never told Randall because they didn't want him to feel like a replacement. I searched around a bit and Kate knows about Kyle because she and Rebecca discussed Kyle after Kate's miscarriage.
 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

15 hours ago, Boo Boo said:

Meanwhile, is it me or should Hai had less of an accent after being in the US for most of his life? Why is he still talking like he just arrived to America? 

The older you are when you begin speaking a new language, the harder it is to lose your accent. A girl I went to high school with moved from Australia to the United States when she was a child. She had no Australian accent AT ALL except when she read aloud. This was made even more amusing because we were in the same French class so I only heard her Australian accent in French, not English. Her older sister was three years older and she still had an Australian accent.

One of my relatives emigrated to the United States when he was 18 and he still had an accent 50 years later.

William Alexander wrote a great book called Flirting with French about learning a second language as an adult. He wanted to master French (and he definitely tried very hard) but he was told by a linguistic expert that he would never speak perfect French (meaning without an American accent) because he learned it so late in life. The author was also told that speaking another language is the most difficult part of learning a new language (which I can attest to - I had a much easier time reading and writing in French that I did speaking French).

[debraran]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

The older you are when you begin speaking a new language, the harder it is to lose your accent. A girl I went to high school with moved from Australia to the United States when she was a child. She had no Australian accent AT ALL except when she read aloud. This was made even more amusing because we were in the same French class so I only heard her Australian accent in French, not English. Her older sister was three years older and she still had an Australian accent.

One of my relatives emigrated to the United States when he was 18 and he still had an accent 50 years later.

William Alexander wrote a great book called Flirting with French about learning a second language as an adult. He wanted to master French (and he definitely tried very hard) but he was told by a linguistic expert that he would never speak perfect French (meaning without an American accent) because he learned it so late in life. The author was also told that speaking another language is the most difficult part of learning a new language (which I can attest to - I had a much easier time reading and writing in French that I did speaking French).

Accents do vary. My sons friend came from England at 6 and still has an English accent and my daughter's boyfriend I doubt will lose his since he came at 18, or his more English words or phrases like "lovely" all the time. ; )  I have a patient at work who came from Scotland as teen or young adult and is 60 or so now and still has a strong Irish accent. I think it's nice and never thought why didn't someone lose it or not.

My daughter works at a global school and loves learning languages. Right now it's Italian, was French and Spanish. Yes, not matter how good you get, without the accent and local slang, she'll get by but will never be like a local. It helps to live in the country a long time.

[Boo Boo]

Thanks everyone for the accent anecdotes!   My first reaction to Hai and "this house is yours" was that the writers dug up  an Asian stereotype.  I appreciate all of your comments!

Edited January 20, 2021 by Boo Boo

[Katie111]

How come everything on this show just happens to occur in PA or CA?  Its not as though we're talking about NH and Maine where people go back and forth on a daily basis.  Kate's ex-boyfrind from Pittsburgh just happens to live just down the road in CA?  That was honestly one of the stupidest coincidences and scenes that I have ever seen on this show.  Although I guess typical for one of the bog 3  making a big dramatic speech about nothing.    And Randall's mother just happened to get sent to CA for prison?  I can't remember but where was Nicky living when Kevin found him?  I'm guessing PA as well?  And where do Rebecca & Miguel live now?  Is it CA or PA?  I think they are living in CA but are both from PA so why/how did they end up there?   Its all just so silly.  I'm sure Randall will be on a plane shortly to see Kevin's babies although many families wait a few months or even a year or two before seeing nieces/nephews on the other side of the country, esp in a pandemic!

[ams1001]

14 minutes ago, Katie111 said:

I can't remember but where was Nicky living when Kevin found him?  I'm guessing PA as well?  And where do Rebecca & Miguel live now?  Is it CA or PA?  I think they are living in CA but are both from PA so why/how did they end up there?

Nicky was in northern PA. Rebecca and Miguel moved to CA around when baby Jack was born.

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, Katie111 said:

How come everything on this show just happens to occur in PA or CA?  Its not as though we're talking about NH and Maine where people go back and forth on a daily basis.  Kate's ex-boyfrind from Pittsburgh just happens to live just down the road in CA?  That was honestly one of the stupidest coincidences and scenes that I have ever seen on this show.  Although I guess typical for one of the bog 3  making a big dramatic speech about nothing.    And Randall's mother just happened to get sent to CA for prison?  I can't remember but where was Nicky living when Kevin found him?  I'm guessing PA as well?  And where do Rebecca & Miguel live now?  Is it CA or PA?  I think they are living in CA but are both from PA so why/how did they end up there?   Its all just so silly.  I'm sure Randall will be on a plane shortly to see Kevin's babies although many families wait a few months or even a year or two before seeing nieces/nephews on the other side of the country, esp in a pandemic!

Randall and his family used to live in New Jersey because he was working in finance in NYC.  Rebecca moved to NJ as well to be close to Randall and her first set of grandkids.  She and Miguel decided to move to California after Jack was born to be close to Kate and their latest grandchild.  Nicky ended up somewhere in Pennsylvania after his stint in Vietnam probably because that is where he is from and where else was he supposed to go.  Yes, Marc being in San Diego and the whole Randall in Philly subplot are stretches, but the rest of the background geography makes sense.  Kevin is an actor who moved to LA because that is where the jobs are.  Kate followed him and became his assistant because the writers are incapable of creating an actual story for her independent from her nuclear family.  

[TVJunkee]

On 1/12/2021 at 10:02 PM, nexxie said:

Loved this episode!

(Just one thing - what about the gators?!)

that took me out of the show every time someone swam in that lake/pond.  It looked like it should be crawling with gators in New Orleans.  Then I kept telling myself that TIU doesn't do shock and awe.  Except emotionally.  

[CrystalBlue]

3 hours ago, TVJunkee said:

that took me out of the show every time someone swam in that lake/pond.  It looked like it should be crawling with gators in New Orleans.  Then I kept telling myself that TIU doesn't do shock and awe.  Except emotionally.  

They did blow up a kid on a boat in Vietnam though.  😛

[KaveDweller]

On 1/18/2021 at 2:37 PM, Boo Boo said:

Did Hai ever verify that Laurel died?  Or are the writers going to come up with another story that Laurel is alive again?  Hai was wrong!  He only thought she died!  

Hai said he was with her when she died, so that should be pretty good verification. But then......William thought he was with her when she died too.

9 hours ago, Katie111 said:

How come everything on this show just happens to occur in PA or CA?  Its not as though we're talking about NH and Maine where people go back and forth on a daily basis.  Kate's ex-boyfrind from Pittsburgh just happens to live just down the road in CA?  That was honestly one of the stupidest coincidences and scenes that I have ever seen on this show.  Although I guess typical for one of the bog 3  making a big dramatic speech about nothing.    And Randall's mother just happened to get sent to CA for prison?  I can't remember but where was Nicky living when Kevin found him?  I'm guessing PA as well?  And where do Rebecca & Miguel live now?  Is it CA or PA?  I think they are living in CA but are both from PA so why/how did they end up there?   Its all just so silly.  I'm sure Randall will be on a plane shortly to see Kevin's babies although many families wait a few months or even a year or two before seeing nieces/nephews on the other side of the country, esp in a pandemic!

I don't know why Randall's mother had to be sent all the way to CA, I am guessing because it is as far as you can get from PA without leaving the continental US. But some of the others actually make sense. Jack and Nicky were from PA, it makes sense Nicky would stay in that area. And Rebecca and Miguel moved to California to be near Kate and her baby. Kate's ex boyfriend.....that one is a stretch, but it isn't totally unbelievable that a loser wanting to be a musician would not stay in Pittsburgh. It would have been worse if he was right in Los Angeles.

But you are right, they will have Randall popping out to California and back like it is nothing. After all if he can drive from northeastern NJ to Philly and back like it is nothing, a cross country flight is no big deal. TV travel is like TV money....it only matters when the writers want it to.